Thursday, March 31, 2011
Omen?
All I can say is if this is the baseball IQ and the "effort" the Cardinals are content to go with this is gonna be a hell of a long season.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Ugly
It's about half way through the first game of the NCAA Men's Hockey tournament. All I can say if this is the standard of officiating we have to look forward to its gonna be a long couple of weeks.
In the game Union might be better than Minnesota-Duluth but is hard to say for sure since Union has been on the powerplay for roughly half the game so far.
I can just hear the fans chanting, "Let's go you Fighting Referees!!"
In the game Union might be better than Minnesota-Duluth but is hard to say for sure since Union has been on the powerplay for roughly half the game so far.
I can just hear the fans chanting, "Let's go you Fighting Referees!!"
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Probably For The Best
Search for new coach begins at Missouri
I was never quite sure why Mizzou was interested in extending the contract with Anderson. I just don't view him as an elite level coach. (Anyone who saw how completely out coached he was in the Georgetown debacle could see that.) His teams played hard, but it seemed more frenetic than controlled at times. Truly talented teams had no difficulty picking the Tigers apart.
It will be interesting to see what happens, but I'm not expecting much.
The search has begun for the new coach at Missouri.
Missouri has hired an outside firm to assist in the search. It did the same thing before hiring Mike Anderson, who left the school after five seasons Wednesday to take the open job at Arkansas.
Missouri never quite became a must-see team under Anderson. It made the NCAA tournament three years in a row, but seemed to regress this season after briefly cracking the Top 10. Missouri was 23-11, but only 1-7 in Big 12 road games.
Athletic director Mike Alden has a history of hiring coaches from mid-major schools who've been assistants at the Division I level.
I was never quite sure why Mizzou was interested in extending the contract with Anderson. I just don't view him as an elite level coach. (Anyone who saw how completely out coached he was in the Georgetown debacle could see that.) His teams played hard, but it seemed more frenetic than controlled at times. Truly talented teams had no difficulty picking the Tigers apart.
It will be interesting to see what happens, but I'm not expecting much.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
How Bad Is NHL Officiating?
On a morning when all the sports talk shows are buzzing about a blown call(s) at the end of the St. Johns v. Rutgeers basketball game, it must be said the talk shows are missing a much worse call last night. That call happened in the Blues v. Blue Jackets game. Dan O'Neil of the St. Louis agrees with me:
Yep.
Luckily the hockey gods were also appalled by the crappy officiating. Cole got his first goal later on and the Blues won the game. However, its kind of awful to require the Blues to beat not only Columbus but also the officials.
Ian Cole appeared to get his first NHL goal, but it is disallowed. Cracknell carried in, passed to Cam Janssen, who taps it to Cole. The puck went past the Columbus goal. Janssen is then tripped from behind by Jared Boll, and makes contact with the goalie as he falls. Cole shoots the puck in from a bad angle.
But they disallow the goal on the grounds of goalie interference on Janssen. Yet another absolutely ridiculous call by an NHL official, impacting a game.
There simply is no worse officiating in sports than in the NHL.
Yep.
Luckily the hockey gods were also appalled by the crappy officiating. Cole got his first goal later on and the Blues won the game. However, its kind of awful to require the Blues to beat not only Columbus but also the officials.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Bye Bye Billikens
Tom Timmermann nicely sums up the state of the Bills after their final game of the season: Billikens take familiar path to defeat
All in all its been a very weird season. The Mitchell and Reed suspensions; a bunch of new frosh playing important minutes; a never-ending series of injuries both small and substantial; all of it added up to a season to forget. I only saw them on television once and that was to get ripped apart by Duke, so it wasn't as if I was living and dying with every result...the way I was expecting to when last season ended. Ever since the Majerus years began I've been waiting for momentum to build in this program, but it hasn't happened yet.
Maybe next year the stars will align. Or, maybe it will be as weird a season as this one and success will be once again delayed. Sadly, the latter seems more likely given SLU's track record.
The final game of the St. Louis University basketball season turned out to look a whole lot like other games and, when you get down to it, SLU’s season as a whole: A slow start, followed by signs of progress, followed by another drought followed by a late rally that was too little and too late.
Along the way, the problems SLU faced were the ones it has faced all season. The Billikens made their first shot of the second half, then missed 11 straight, many right at the rim.
“It was a microcosm of the season,” SLU coach Rick Majerus said.
The Billikens fell to Rhode Island 70-61 in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament to bring a close to a season that was ill-fated from the start.
Just before the season began, the team lost its two best players — Kwamain Mitchell and Willie Reed — to suspension and the squad was thrown into difficult situations the rest of the season that it never could fully sort out.
While Rhode Island, the A-10’s No. 6 seed, moves on to Atlantic City, N.J., to face Richmond, SLU heads home with a 12-19 record, its fewest wins since the 2004-05 team went 9-21.
The future, though, is bright. Everyone is back, and with Mitchell definitely returning and Reed potentially back — the school still has to rule on his reinstatement to the team — the Billikens figure to be one of the best-stocked teams in the league next season.
All in all its been a very weird season. The Mitchell and Reed suspensions; a bunch of new frosh playing important minutes; a never-ending series of injuries both small and substantial; all of it added up to a season to forget. I only saw them on television once and that was to get ripped apart by Duke, so it wasn't as if I was living and dying with every result...the way I was expecting to when last season ended. Ever since the Majerus years began I've been waiting for momentum to build in this program, but it hasn't happened yet.
Maybe next year the stars will align. Or, maybe it will be as weird a season as this one and success will be once again delayed. Sadly, the latter seems more likely given SLU's track record.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Points From Safety - Update No. 2
The string of away fixtures is beginning to catch up with Notts County as they dropped a 2-nil decision to Orient yesterday. Luckily for Notts, lots of other teams dropped points as well.
As of right now the magic number of points needed by Notts County to avoid relegation is: 30 (down 2!)
The teams most in danger of making the drop are:
Plymouth
Bristol Rovers
Walsall
Swindon
As of right now the magic number of points needed by Notts County to avoid relegation is: 30 (down 2!)
The teams most in danger of making the drop are:
Plymouth
Bristol Rovers
Walsall
Swindon
Saturday, March 5, 2011
It's Gonna Be One Of Those Days...
...one of those shitty shitty days that makes you question why anyone would ever want to have a rooting interest in sports.
It's only 1:24PM and already:
Notts County has lost 2-0 to Leyton Orient.
The Blues are down 3-0 to the Islanders, and look somnambulant.
Missouri lost (again) to Kansas.
SLU is down seven to Xavier halfway thru the first half. (Prelude to an ass kicking?)
Hell, even the West Coast Eagle got beat down by Collingwood.
Oh well...
It's only 1:24PM and already:
Notts County has lost 2-0 to Leyton Orient.
The Blues are down 3-0 to the Islanders, and look somnambulant.
Missouri lost (again) to Kansas.
SLU is down seven to Xavier halfway thru the first half. (Prelude to an ass kicking?)
Hell, even the West Coast Eagle got beat down by Collingwood.
Oh well...
It Nice To Be Wanted
There is nothing more exciting in sports than ownership news!
Given that we have had times when the Blues were for sale and no potential local owners were even on the radar, this isn't that bad. Sure there is some uncertainty here, but there is time to get this all sorted out before any more big money decisions need to be made.
I think this is pretty much wrong. Knowledgeable fans are aware of how this team is being built, through player development. So many teams were within striking distance of the playoffs this year there were fewer sellers, so there was a much smaller pool of add-on players available. When you look at the crazy price the Kings paid for Justin Penner I for one am glad the Blues didn't try to make that kind of move.
That being said if the Blues are not willing to make a move during the free agency days of the summer rumbles will increase. But, generally Blues fans are willing to stick with the plan, as long as there continues to be a plan.
With Dave Checketts' efforts to replace the Blues' major investor still unresolved, an offer has been made to purchase the team outright from Checketts, multiple sources have told the Post-Dispatch.
St. Louis businessman Tom Stillman, who is already a minority owner, is part of a group that presented a formal bid to Checketts' company, SCP Worldwide, to take control of the club. This is the only known offer for the team, an offer sources said was far less than the estimated value of the franchise.
In 2010, Forbes Magazine valued the Blues at $165 million, approximately $15 million more than Checketts paid for the team and the lease on Scottrade Center in 2006.
SCP has rejected the bid from Stillman's group and will continue seeking financial support to replace the Blues' major investor, TowerBrook Capital Partners, and maintain control of the club. It's believed by sources that Checketts would step aside if he was offered his asking price, which is not known at this time, but based on the recent bid he is not ready to sell.
Given that we have had times when the Blues were for sale and no potential local owners were even on the radar, this isn't that bad. Sure there is some uncertainty here, but there is time to get this all sorted out before any more big money decisions need to be made.
Checketts, who possibly kept the Blues from relocating when he took control of the franchise in 2006, has been seen as a loyal and engaging owner.
However, with the Blues in 13th place in the Western Conference standings, a fan base that has sold out 33 consecutive home games is now questioning the viability of an ownership group that couldn't afford to keep the club afloat during a rash of injuries to key players.
I think this is pretty much wrong. Knowledgeable fans are aware of how this team is being built, through player development. So many teams were within striking distance of the playoffs this year there were fewer sellers, so there was a much smaller pool of add-on players available. When you look at the crazy price the Kings paid for Justin Penner I for one am glad the Blues didn't try to make that kind of move.
That being said if the Blues are not willing to make a move during the free agency days of the summer rumbles will increase. But, generally Blues fans are willing to stick with the plan, as long as there continues to be a plan.
Friday, March 4, 2011
This Is A Little Bit Of Bullshit
Isles’ Gillies given 10-game ban by NHL for hit
It is a pet peeve of mine the way the NHL officials and the league office speaks so inaccurately when describing on-ice incidents. Whatever Gillies did he did not hit Clutterbuck from behind, nor did he elbow him. He did blindside a guy who was totally unprepared to be hit. (Clutterbuck's head hit the glass which is what made him woozy, not an elbow. See the video below.)
You also have to ignore the idiots who call the Wild games. Clutterbuck's original hit was not "clean." It was boarding pure and simple, and the Isles player was lucky to escape without injury himself. Clutterbuck is also lucky to have escaped without a fine of some sort. Not being a repeat offender helped.
Repeat offender is exactly what Gillies is, but that is also my issue with this suspension. Clutterbuck's hit put the Isles player in danger and its the job of Gillies to stand up for his teammate just hit face first into the boards and lying in a heap on the ice. Don't get me wrong, Gillies hit was a penalty. If we are gonna stick to the fiction that play wasn't stopped when Clutterbuck got hit (which is the NHL's story) you could certainly call Gillies for a five minutes interference penalty AND give him the gate. However, contributing factors for Clutterbuck getting his bell rung were:
A) Clutterbuck's illegal hit on Justin DiBenedetto, and
B) Clutterbuck's standing around like no one could possibly take umbrage with his hit and being totally unprepared for a hit less than one second after the whistle blew.
To me this should be handled the same way a player skating across the crease with his head down who gets pulverized. If you don't have your head up and on a swivel you deserve to get your bell rung. Sure, keep Gillies on a short leash, but don't penalize him for Clutterbuck's cluelessness.
Islanders forward Trevor Gillies(notes) has been hit hard by the NHL again, getting a 10-game ban Friday for a dangerous shot from behind in his first game back from a nine-game suspension.
Gillies, one of the key combatants in New York’s fight-filled win over Pittsburgh on Feb. 11, played only four shifts Wednesday night before he was ejected for hitting Minnesota Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck(notes) from behind 2:23 into the second period of the Islanders’ 4-1 home win.
In retaliation for Clutterbuck’s hit on Islanders rookie Justin DiBenedetto(notes), that drew a boarding penalty, Gillies drilled Clutterbuck and was given a major penalty for checking from behind and ejected. Clutterbuck stayed in the game and then played Thursday at the New York Rangers.
It is a pet peeve of mine the way the NHL officials and the league office speaks so inaccurately when describing on-ice incidents. Whatever Gillies did he did not hit Clutterbuck from behind, nor did he elbow him. He did blindside a guy who was totally unprepared to be hit. (Clutterbuck's head hit the glass which is what made him woozy, not an elbow. See the video below.)
You also have to ignore the idiots who call the Wild games. Clutterbuck's original hit was not "clean." It was boarding pure and simple, and the Isles player was lucky to escape without injury himself. Clutterbuck is also lucky to have escaped without a fine of some sort. Not being a repeat offender helped.
Repeat offender is exactly what Gillies is, but that is also my issue with this suspension. Clutterbuck's hit put the Isles player in danger and its the job of Gillies to stand up for his teammate just hit face first into the boards and lying in a heap on the ice. Don't get me wrong, Gillies hit was a penalty. If we are gonna stick to the fiction that play wasn't stopped when Clutterbuck got hit (which is the NHL's story) you could certainly call Gillies for a five minutes interference penalty AND give him the gate. However, contributing factors for Clutterbuck getting his bell rung were:
A) Clutterbuck's illegal hit on Justin DiBenedetto, and
B) Clutterbuck's standing around like no one could possibly take umbrage with his hit and being totally unprepared for a hit less than one second after the whistle blew.
To me this should be handled the same way a player skating across the crease with his head down who gets pulverized. If you don't have your head up and on a swivel you deserve to get your bell rung. Sure, keep Gillies on a short leash, but don't penalize him for Clutterbuck's cluelessness.
Ouch. I Mean OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I turned on the Blues/Capitals game a little late last night. At one point I heard John Kelly say something like "Strachan and Bradley squared off earlier when Bradley had the upper hand."
Then I saw the video today.
(Thanks to HockeyFights.com)
To say Bradley "had the upper hand" in this fight is a little like saying "After its last trip to New Jersey the Hindenburg lacked a bit of airworthiness."
Then I saw the video today.
(Thanks to HockeyFights.com)
To say Bradley "had the upper hand" in this fight is a little like saying "After its last trip to New Jersey the Hindenburg lacked a bit of airworthiness."
Thursday, March 3, 2011
The Blues Race To The Bottom
All I can say is thank God the Blues made the first round draft choice they sent to Colorado in the Stewart/Shattenkirk trade conditional. Right now we would own the #9 selection in the draft, and I have every reason to believe the Blues will be in "competition" for a top five pick when all is said and done.
Right on cue, the Blues dropped another two points tonight when veteran defenseman Barret Jackman forgot how to defend a two-on-one break. Instead of making the puck handler shoot the puck while giving the goalie a clean look at it, Jackman decided the situation was best defended by genuflecting the way a 10 year old Catholic school boy does before the altar when he knows Sister Mary Severity is looking on.
Well done, Mr. Jackman. Well done.
Right on cue, the Blues dropped another two points tonight when veteran defenseman Barret Jackman forgot how to defend a two-on-one break. Instead of making the puck handler shoot the puck while giving the goalie a clean look at it, Jackman decided the situation was best defended by genuflecting the way a 10 year old Catholic school boy does before the altar when he knows Sister Mary Severity is looking on.
Well done, Mr. Jackman. Well done.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
More Late Season Heroics
I'm not sure what it is with the Billikens, but even in their down years with Majerus they seem to put things together late. Tonight in Dayton was no exception:
On the road against a 19 win team with a RPI in the 60's? That is something beyond this SLU team a month ago. If we could only get the NCAA to allow the Billikens to start their season a month earlier. In any event they will be crying into their bowls of Skyline 5-ways in Dayton tonight.
Maybe, just maybe, the A-10 tourney will be interesting to watch!
Mike McCall scored 17 points to lead Saint Louis over Dayton 69-51 on Wednesday night.
The Billikens (12-17, 6-9 Atlantic 10 Conference) shot 58.3 percent (14 of 24), including 60 percent from 3-point range (6 of 10) in the first half. The Flyers made just 8 of 29 from the field before halftime as Saint Louis took a 35-19 lead at the break.
The Billikens trailed 4-3 early, but scored nine straight and weren’t threatened the rest of the way.
Saint Louis expanded its lead to as many as 26 points, 69-43, on Rob Loe’s jumper with 5:47 to play.
On the road against a 19 win team with a RPI in the 60's? That is something beyond this SLU team a month ago. If we could only get the NCAA to allow the Billikens to start their season a month earlier. In any event they will be crying into their bowls of Skyline 5-ways in Dayton tonight.
Maybe, just maybe, the A-10 tourney will be interesting to watch!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Painful
Thank God I dropped hard earned cash to watch the Blues during this "drive for the playoffs." Tonight they lost 6-0 to a mediocre Calgary team.
Would that we were mediocre.
Points From Safety - Update No. 1
Notts County drew 1-1 at Brentford today, which isn't a terrible result particularly when you learn the Pies had not one, but two players sent off during the match AND gave up a penalty in injury time which Brentford missed. Not ideal, but I'll take it. The results from today lead us to...
As of right now the magic number of points needed by Notts County to avoid relegation is: 32 (down 3!)
The teams most in danger of making the drop are:
Plymouth
Bristol Rovers
Walsall
Swindon
As of right now the magic number of points needed by Notts County to avoid relegation is: 32 (down 3!)
The teams most in danger of making the drop are:
Plymouth
Bristol Rovers
Walsall
Swindon
The Post-Trade Deadline Blues
Now that the NHL trade deadline has passed it is time to assess where the Blues stand going forward.
What to think... what to think...
Well, I suppose there is always next season.
The playoffs are a little too far out of reach this year. Even if the Blues get red hot they would still need to leap-frog 5 teams in the span of 20 games. I just don't see all of those teams cooling off, and all you need is for one of them to get hot themselves to doom the Blues.
No, it is time to build for next season, which is exactly what the Blues have been doing. They have cleared the books of a couple big contracts, gotten a couple draft picks for unrestricted free agents they were not going to re-sign anyway, and picked up a couple top drawer young NHLers and a decent prospect.
Meanwhile, this edition of the Note is going to have to get by with the Porters and Reaves of the world, which is fine for the most part. Replacing Brad Winchester is not the hardest thing in the world to do. McRae is banged up a little and on the shelf, which is a shame. The more games he could get at this level now the sooner he will be able to contribute consistently.
As for other players in the organization, the only one I could see making a brief debut appearance by year's end is Cade Fairchild presently with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, though it is more likely if he signs he will get some games in Peoria (who at least have a shot of making the playoffs.) Part of me would also like to see Mark Cundari get a cup of coffee with the big club, but he should get his chance next season to take the Peoria shuttle.
I'd be happier if there were a couple more forward prospects threatening to make the leap, but beyond Tarasenko no one even seems remotely possible to crack the lineup. This means we will need to look outside the organization. We should have the cap space to do just that.
But, do we have the will in the front office?
What to think... what to think...
Well, I suppose there is always next season.
The playoffs are a little too far out of reach this year. Even if the Blues get red hot they would still need to leap-frog 5 teams in the span of 20 games. I just don't see all of those teams cooling off, and all you need is for one of them to get hot themselves to doom the Blues.
No, it is time to build for next season, which is exactly what the Blues have been doing. They have cleared the books of a couple big contracts, gotten a couple draft picks for unrestricted free agents they were not going to re-sign anyway, and picked up a couple top drawer young NHLers and a decent prospect.
Meanwhile, this edition of the Note is going to have to get by with the Porters and Reaves of the world, which is fine for the most part. Replacing Brad Winchester is not the hardest thing in the world to do. McRae is banged up a little and on the shelf, which is a shame. The more games he could get at this level now the sooner he will be able to contribute consistently.
As for other players in the organization, the only one I could see making a brief debut appearance by year's end is Cade Fairchild presently with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, though it is more likely if he signs he will get some games in Peoria (who at least have a shot of making the playoffs.) Part of me would also like to see Mark Cundari get a cup of coffee with the big club, but he should get his chance next season to take the Peoria shuttle.
I'd be happier if there were a couple more forward prospects threatening to make the leap, but beyond Tarasenko no one even seems remotely possible to crack the lineup. This means we will need to look outside the organization. We should have the cap space to do just that.
But, do we have the will in the front office?
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